Texas Rangers legendary shortstop Elvis Andrus signed a ceremonial contract with the organization on Friday to retire with the franchise in which he spent the vast majority of his career.
Andrus joined the Rangers as a rookie in 2009 and spent the first 12 years of his career with the team, helping lead the organization to back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.
Andrus was one of the most consistent players on the Rangers during the team’s trips to the World Series, helping manage one of the best defenses in baseball during his time at shortstop.
Throughout his 15-year career, Andrus accumulated 102 career home runs with a batting average of .269 and an on-base percentage of .325.
The official retirement ceremony involved Andrus signing the contract to retire with the Rangers alongside former manager Ron Washington and Rangers Hall of Famer Michael Young.
During the ceremony, Andrus said that the day was a “day of joy in my life” that he would remember for the rest of his life.
“It’s a day that brings so many good memories. A day to remember how blessed I’ve been in the past 15 years, how this incredible organization, the Texas Rangers, chose to trade the Atlanta Braves for a 18-year-old shortstop from Venezuela named Elvis,” he said, per The MLB.
“It’s not a sad day for me. It’s a joy because I did what I was asked to do. I gave my best effort every single day, and we accomplished some great things here for the Rangers.”
Washington said Andrus was a special player who was made even better due to the talent surrounding him on the roster and that the team could not have made the playoff runs without him.
“This kid was so sharp at a young age when he came up, and he was a very fortunate kid because of the players that surround him: Mike, Kinsler, Mitch Moreland, Nelson Cruz, Beltre,” he explained, according to The MLB.
“He had people around him that stayed on him and wouldn’t let him get away with anything. I think that created the man you see standing up here right now. That’s why his career lasted as long as it’s lasted. And I’m so happy that he went out on his own terms.”